MEMPHIS — After being at the center of trade talks while not being able to play due to an injury, former Murray State basketball star Ja Morant returned to the NBA court Friday night for Memphis.
And after displaying some rather uninspired play ahead of that injury, the Racer Hall of Famer appeared to show that he is interested in contributing for the Grizzlies. He had the 79th double-double as a pro with 21 points and 10 assists but it was in a losing effort as visiting Utah took a 130-126 win at FedEx Forum.
Still, it was a strong return to the Griz lineup for Morant after he had missed 10 games due to a calf injury. The one blemish was that he continued a season-long shooting slump, hitting only seven of 20 shots from the field. He also committed seven turnovers.